On October 13, come celebrate the first ever National Fossil Day with UCMP!

National Fossil Day is a nation-wide event organized by the National Park Service in partnership with American Geological Institute to promote public awareness and stewardship of fossils, as well as to foster a greater appreciation of their scientific and educational values. It falls during Earth Science Week and we here at Cal have been busily preparing for the festivities!

To highlight the museum’s history of contribution to the world of fossils, we will be launching a special online exhibit: Fossils in our parklands: Examples of UCMP service and stewardship. The website will highlight fossil contributions from national and state parks to the UCMP collections and tell the story of UCMP’s pivotal role in the formation and preservation of some of these parks.

Also, October 13 will mark the release of the 2011 UCMP Fossil Treasures Calendar. Each month will feature a unique specimen from our collections, compiled by our resident scientists and complete with photographs and first-hand accounts. Proceeds will benefit the museum and, in particular, support the future of paleontological research through graduate student funding.

To learn more about National Fossil Day, including a list of participating events at locations across the country, visit the official website.